Equipment for vertical stretching and radicular decompression of the spine

ABSTRACT

It consists of an equipment ( 1 ) for passive stretching of the structures of the spine; constituted by auto-portable structure ( 2 ) endowed of superior moto-reducer set ( 3 ) with pulley ( 4 ) passible of moving, upwards or downwards, an one-line connection element ( 5 ) to be fastened to a garment (V) placed in the spill of the hip of the user, with central catch ( 6 ), being such moto-reducer set ( 3 ) activated by remote control ( 7 ) and course limited by sensor (S).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This International Patent Application claims priority to Brazilian Patent Application BR-PI-0800013-1 filed Jan. 7, 2008, the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present Patent of Invention request refers to a new “EQUIPMENT FOR VERTICAL STRETCHING AND RADICULAR DECOMPRESSION OF THE SPINE”; especially of an equipment to be used in the medical and physiotherapeutic areas and in academies with the objective of promoting the decompression of the spine by the vertical elevation of the inferior members (legs) of the user, through a support endowed with truck and remote control, whose hoist element is connected through appropriate garment adequate to the said user's hip, promoting the radicular decompression, resulting in the increase of the space between the intervertebral discs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known that the traction of the spine (cervical, lumbar and thoracic) is a procedure thoroughly used in the medical and physiotherapeutic treatment in column pains, due to several factors, among them:

Bad posture;

Obesity;

Sedentary;

Lack of elasticity of the paravertebral musculature;

Several traumas provoked by physical accidents;

Anatomical alterations of the spine (scoliosis, hyper-lordosis);

Discopathies (alterations of the intervertebral discs);

Physical and emotional stress, due to the practice inadequate or excessive of physical exercises.

The vertebrae and intervertebral discs are constantly compressed, being the person carrying weight or not. Even when in the seating position, the pressure on the intervertebral discs is larger than when in the foot position. Therefore, the lack of stretching of the paravertebral musculature keeps the column with constant rigidity, including in the lying position.

About 60 to 80% of the world population suffers with pains in the back, whose the most part of the causes were described above. Now of more detailed way, the main causes will be better explained:

Bad posture—the time's excess in inadequate posture generates pains in the back, causing muscular contractures. Then, years of erroneous posture can cause anatomical deformations in the column;

Obesity—the overweight contributes substantially for the reduction of the intervertebral spaces, causing the compression of the nervous roots of the lumbar region, unchaining lumboischialgias in people of any age;

Sedentary—with the facilities of the modern life, this that factor becomes more preponderant, what carries the people to move themselves less and less, reducing the capacity cardio-respiratory and stretching conditions.

They are known of the current state of the technique, with regard to the treatment of the column, two procedure ways: medicinal and physiotherapic.

Medicinal uses chemical means for the pains in the back treatment, so much in the case of acute pain, as in the chronic pain. The prescribed medications should be in conformity with the needs of each patient, should always search the most efficient one for that anomaly, and that on what provokes smaller side effects. In some cases, analgesic or anti-inflammatory drugs are more than enough. However, in more complicated cases, there is the need to combine several substances as analgesic, anti-inflammatory and muscular relaxing drugs. Other very used procedure is the infiltration that consists in the application of an analgesic injection in the location of the pain. The surgery is other option, should be evaluated its need, or not, by the orthopedists or neurologists.

On the other hand, the physiotherapeutic procedures are composed of different techniques, with analgesic purpose, in other words, reduce the pain picture of the patient. Among the physiotherapeutic treatments, it can highlight:

Stretching;

Re-education Postural Global (RPG);

Pilates;

Short waves and Ultrasound;

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS);

Acupuncture;

Massages.

The state of the technique advance some devices for decompression of the column, like the document of patent below described:

PI 9902113-7 “Arc for Decompression of the Cervical Column” is an equipment to destined to the decompression of the vertebrae of the cervical column and, concomitantly promote the relaxation of the costal musculature at the same time in which lengthens all the anterior musculature of the thorax and abdomen. Although it is to multiple use, its main application is to prevent and to alleviate the lumbar pains. The said device is constituted by a chassis (1) formed by two arc segments that are linked at the top by means of an articulation (2). In the inferior extremity of each arc segment, the stirrups (3) are articulated and serve of support for the feet. The remover (4) is composite by a ribbon that limits the opening of the arc and the elastic (5) gathers the remover (4) when the arc is closed. The upholstered (6) recover the external part of the chassis (1) to give better support and comfort to the user's back.

Of general way, the current treatments, medical or physiotherapeutic, aim the cure or reduction of the pain, not solving the cause or generator factor of the pain that is the radicular compression in level of the intervertebral discs, location where is generated the pain. Even the equipment cited in the state of the technique is deficient, because it promotes the radicular decompression with the patient in the laid down position, generating a resultant of efforts sometimes in improper locations. Other negative aspect of the referred device is its accessibility, in which the user has to move excessively to lay down on said device, could carry to the aggravation of the picture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The equipment idealized by the inventor stands out by the constructive simplicity and effectiveness, because it promotes the radicular decompression without forcing the user, for being totally automatic, elevated by means of tow truck in a totally vertical position, carrying significant advantages under the constructive and utilitarian aspect, propitiating the radicular decompression in level of the intervertebral discs, treating the location of the cause of the pain. Thus, when activated, the equipment increases the space between vertebrae, reducing thus the compression of the nervous roots, originally compressed by the factors fully commented above.

The use of the claimed equipment causes a series of advantages and benefits related below:

Reduction of the utilization of medications, due to the fact that the decrease of the pain picture is immediate;

Reduction of the time of internment in the hospital in the case of spinal disc herniation, once that the equipment makes the extruded nucleus pulposus in the spinal disc herniation returns to its locate;

Reduction of the neuralgic picture;

Possibility of utilization of the equipment in people of any age and in all biotypes;

In the case of congenital or acquired or post-traumatic discopathies, with the equipment, it is possible making the passive stretching of the hurt structures, promoting the reduction of the pain and increase of the local flexibility;

In spondylolisthesis cases (slipping of a lumbar vertebra over another one), the equipment promotes the re-alignment of the vertebra;

In the cases of anatomical alterations, as lumbar scoliosis and hyper-lordosis, the equipment, when it decompresses, promotes a larger space between the tissues of the lumbar region, increasing the spaces between lumbar structures, providing a better alignment of the interspinous process articulations;

In the case of people who practice physical exercises that cause load in the spine, the equipment promotes the total decompression of the structures of the column, stretching them and reducing the contracture of the paravertebral musculature, increasing the space intradiscal and, consequently stretching and reducing the pain in the back;

Totally passive and comfortable stretching, once that the user doesn't need to make larger efforts to use the equipment.

To follow, it explains the invention with reference to the attached drawings, in which are represented of illustrative and not limitative way:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: View in perspective of the equipment for vertical stretching and radicular decompression of the spine;

FIG. 2: View in exploded perspective of the equipment for vertical stretching and radicular decompression of the spine;

FIG. 3: View in cut of the equipment for vertical stretching and radicular decompression of the spine;

FIG. 4: View in perspective of the hoist garment;

FIG. 5: View in perspective of the equipment for vertical stretching and radicular decompression of the spine, showing use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The “EQUIPMENT FOR VERTICAL STRETCHING AND RADICULAR DECOMPRESSION OF THE SPINE”, object of this Patent of Invention solicitation, consists essentially of an equipment (1) for passive stretching of the structures of the spine; constituted by structure (2) auto-portable endowed of superior moto-reducer set (3) with pulley (4), passible of moving, upwards or downwards, an one-line connection element (5) to be fastened to a garment (V) placed in the spill of the hip of the user with central catch (6), being such moto-reducer set (3) activated by remote control (7) and course limited by sensor (S).

Basically, the equipment (1) promotes the passive stretching in all clinical cases relative to the spine, as, for instance, low back pains, spinal disc herniation, disc protusion and post-traumatic and acquired discopathies, also could be used in people who opt for accomplishing the passive stretching of the structures of the spine, as, for instance, anterior longitudinal ligament; posterior longitudinal ligament, interspinous process articulations and yellow ligament, aiming larger elasticity, larger space between vertebrae and consequently the absence of lumbar pains.

More particularly, the equipment (1) consists of an auto-portable structure (2) that performs a support picture with superior horizontal bar (8) properly supported in lateral feet (9) convergent in direction to the superior trellised (T) bars (8). Such structure (2) has the dimensions and mechanical resistance carefully calculated for the function that is going to perform, whose height allows the host of a person with appropriate garment (V), hanging in the height of the hip. In the horizontal superior bar (8), more specifically in its median portion, stands out a moto-reducer set (3) activated, clockwise or anticlockwise, via remote control (7). Being this way, from the tip of the motive axis of the moto-reducer set (3), drifts a pulley (4) with one-line connection element (5) with extreme hook (10) solidary to the pulley (P) with two guides (G) which make possible user's host. For so much, an extremity of the one-line element (11) is leashed to an orthogonal support (12) located in the horizontal bar (8) and the opposite extremity (not represented) is fastened to the pulley (4) of the moto-reducer set (3) passing over the guides (G) of the pulley (P), so as to enable its sliding downwards or upwards through the remote control. Next to the support (12), there is an end-of-course sensor (S) that limits the ascending movement of the hook (10), avoiding undesirable contacts of user's inferior members with the equipment (1). The moto-reducer set (3) owns a key (13) for its unlocking in case of lack of energy.

The inclination degree is determined by the professional responsible for the treatment, varying from 0°-90° related to the soil. Thus, the hook (10) is connected to a central catch (6) of the garment (V).

Thus, the equipment (1) enables the host of the user properly anchored by the garment (V), enabling precise angulations from 0° to 90° , attending to all the problems that cause pains in the column, attacking the origin of the pain by the radicular decompression. 

1) “EQUIPMENT FOR VERTICAL STRETCHING AND RADICULAR DECOMPRESSION OF THE SPINE”, wherein it is formed by auto-portable structure (2) that performs a support picture with superior horizontal bar (8) properly supported in lateral feet (9); for in the horizontal superior bar (8), more specifically in its median portion, stands out a moto-reducer set (3) activated, clockwise or anticlockwise, via remote control (7); from the tip of the motive axis of the moto-reducer set (3), drifts a pulley (4) with one-line connection element (5) with extreme hook solidary (10) to the pulley (P) with two guides (G) which make possible user's host; an extremity of the on-line element (11) is leashed to an orthogonal support (12) located in the horizontal bar (8) and the opposite extremity (not represented) is fastened to the pulley (4) of the moto-reducer set (3), passing over the guides (G) of the pulley (P), so as to enable its sliding; next to the support (12), there is an end-of-course sensor (S) that limits the ascending movement of the hook (10); the moto-reducer set (3) owns a unlocking key (13). 2) “EQUIPMENT FOR VERTICAL STRETCHING AND RADICULAR DECOMPRESSION OF THE SPINE”, according to claim 1, wherein the hook (10) is connected to a central catch (6) positioned in the garment(V). 